OK, here it is springtime and my wife is pleading for a deck in the backyard. So I’m thinking, why not? We’ll have lots of barbecues, birthday party’s and plenty of friends and family to enjoy the summer with. That got me a little interested, if not a bit eager!
Ah, the manly endeavor of building a deck! Then reality hit. This is a project, it takes planning and it takes work. This is almost like being in the office!! I mean, where do I start?
I know, I’ll check out the different types of material, bad idea. Now I have to decide between a litany of composite materials which are more expensive, and regular lumber that is less costly but harder to maintain! Oh, it gets better.
I have a deck designer program. I spent a few hours one evening creating the perfect deck. Only to find out it was exactly what my wife had in mind. Back to the drawing board with her vision and ideas, a few hours later…bam! The deck of her dreams right there in full color. But now I’m back to the office part of the whole deal. I need to look into permits, draw up the plans, get a cut list, choose the material and most important of all….STAY UNDER BUDGET.
If over 50% of project plans get blown over budget in the world of project experts…what chance does a novice deck builder have? This is only the beginning, but at least there are only two people having to buy into the final design. At the very least we should be able to overcome indecision. I think I have a fighting chance. How about you?
–Warren